SECTOR 2 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.3 (2008 = n/a) 2.8 All media fairly reflect the voices of society in its ethnic, linguistic, religious, political and social diversity. Ethnicity and religion remain highly sensitive and divisive issues in Nigeria, and this is often reflected in the media. The media in some predominantly Muslim states do not run Christian programmes, while some in largely Christiandominated states find Islamic programmes too sensitive to air. Journalists are therefore extremely cautious when reporting on issues that could lead to violent religious and ethnic reactions. The Nation is still haunted by the Miss World and Sharia crises of 2002 and 2003 respectively. Political diversity is also not as visible in the media as it should be, since politicians in office tend to dominate newspaper pages and the airwaves. During the 2011 electoral season, a study commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme found that political bias in the media had worsened, with the ruling party getting 93% of airwaves compared to just 7% for its rivals. Gaps also exist in the coverage of rural communities, compared to urban centres. “Unless there are big scandals or some bomb blast in rural areas, they are generally given very little attention.” News is largely elitist; focussing on government action, business and influential people. According to a panellist “there are always the same people in the media and ordinary people are hardly reported.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2011 27